As you can imagine, universities use an incredible amount of
paper, and George Washington University is no exception. The university
recently completed a self-study that examined its paper use and extrapolated
the environmental impact of the institution's paper consumption.

The findings of the study concluded that:

-4,108 cases of paper were used during 2012 and
that more than half of that was not recycled content paper

Here at Paperless Kitchen, we admire George Washington
University for conducting this study and for publicly publishing its results.
The institution's commitment to understanding its environmental impact is
admirable enough, and we are even more impressed that the university has taken
significant steps to make a change for the better.

The university has developed the George Washington
Ecosystems Enhancement Strategy, which now makes buying only recycled paper a
standard, expected practice. This immediate change is supported by the
university's commitment to implement green procurement practices for
electronics and water by 2015.

With more than 24,000 enrolled students and 7,000 employees,
George Washington University is a large organization with complex needs, yet
the university was still able to evaluate the size of its eco-footprint and
take steps to reduce its size.

Now that 2013 is upon us, we hope that companies and
institutions of all sizes from single proprietors to multimillion-dollar
corporations will follow GW's lead and examine their own procurement strategies
to make green improvements.

Has your company taken steps to protect the planet? If so,
we'd love to hear about it in the comments section!

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